Scoreload

American folk singer, songwriter, and composer known for his work with The Easy Riders and iconic Disney songs.Terrence Gilkyson, born in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, became a prominent figure in the American folk music revival of the 1950s and 1960s. He co-founded the group The Easy Riders, achieving significant success with hits like 'Marianne'. Gilkyson's songwriting talents extended prominently into film, most famously composing the Oscar-nominated 'The Bare Necessities' for Disney's 'The Jungle Book' (1967). He also wrote music for other Disney films and television shows. His career spanned decades, marked by collaborations, solo work, and enduring contributions to folk and popular music.

• Gilkyson was briefly a member of the legendary folk group The Weavers in the early 1950s but left due to political disagreements and the pressures of the McCarthy era blacklist.
• His daughter, Eliza Gilkyson, became a highly respected and Grammy-nominated folk singer-songwriter in her own right, continuing the family musical legacy.
• Despite the massive success of 'The Bare Necessities' (co-written with Disney staff composers), Gilkyson reportedly received a relatively modest flat fee for the song, missing out on potential long-term royalties due to the common studio practices of the era.
• He died of prostate cancer in Austin, Texas, at the age of 83.